If you’ve been using Google AdWords as your exclusive platform for PPC marketing and it is really starting to hurt your marketing budget, it may be time to take a step back and reevaluate if you’re really getting the most bang for your buck. AdWords is by far the most wide-reaching PPC platform, but it’s not without its drawbacks: it requires constant maintenance, monitoring, tweaking, and it’s certainly the most expensive when measured by cost-per-click rates. If you think your company isn’t getting the return on investment it deserves, it could be worth taking a look at some of the other options out there.

Single Website PPC

One of the most promising new trends emerging in digital ad space is the uptick in major companies investing in digital media. Instead of relying solely on search engines, companies are zeroing in on their target demographics by focusing on specific websites.

For example, NBCUniversal confirmed that it has invested $200 million into BuzzFeed, the digital media website with the intent of capitalizing on reaching their Millennial audience. BuzzFeed often incorporates its sponsored advertisements within its original content, not just right next to it. This allows sponsors to include themselves into their market’s most visited websites in a more integrated way, and it has shown to lead to higher conversion rates.

ComcastSpotlight has also recently launched its own ad-targeting service as part of its package designed for its smaller and medium sized business subscribers. The service allows the subscriber to advertise on their partnered pages by focusing on age, location, or custom criteria. This means that they can reach their target audiences by advertising on websites they visit most frequently instead of the broad strokes strategy of search engine advertising.

One of the major pros of working with single site PPC is the availability of geographic targeting tools that tend to be lacking with AdWords’ broad nature. This allows for advertisers to focus more directly on their customers without wasting valuable ad space in a market out of their range or one not specific to their search results. Major companies are making it a priority to break into digital media in order to maintain control of who their advertisements reach, and how they can stay in tune with their customers’ interests.

The Big 3 in Social Media PPC

Facebook,Twitter, and LinkedIn all have their own established PPC systems, and they provide useful alternatives to AdWords given their specific targeting systems and price. By combining an incredibly large audience while also allowing you to focus on locations, age groups, specific interests, and including video, they provide much cheaper PPC options that allow for a more directed campaign without sacrificing exposure.

Other PPC Platforms

AdWords isn’t the only reliable search engine option. Although Bing has less traffic than Google, it starts at about a 15% lower price than AdWords and it is shown to have a much higher conversion rate – up to 40% higher in some cases. If you’re looking to tighten your budget and get more value for each click, Bing is an underrated and highly viable alternative for a search engine PPC.

Advertising.com provides a unique model similar to that of Comcast Spotlight. Like Spotlight, Advertising.com has its own premium network that allows for direct ad space on their partnered websites. They aren’t the cheapest option, but their placement team can virtually guarantee that your ads will end up on the websites you want. It’s a different kind of strategy, but if you feel like you’re in a rut with your digital marketing, it may be a good idea to get some help from the pros.

It’s important to keep in mind that people’s interests and desires are ever-changing, and different companies and industries climb the ranks at different rates. Always keep evaluating what the best channels are for your marketing plan. Sometimes Google AdWords is the best route to go, but keep in mind that there are other options out there that could provide you a leg up on the competition.